La Plata High School took first place in the Southern Maryland Regional High School Computer Bowl. Pictured from left are team members Matt Koontz, Mike Diley, William Hicks, and Alex Smith, and coach Richard Williams. (Submitted photo)
WALDORF, Md. (March 28, 2010)—More than 90 young computer experts participated in a contest of knowledge and skill during the 21st Annual Southern Maryland Regional Computer Bowl, held March 6 at Theodore G. Davis Middle School in Waldorf.
Twenty-three teams from 11 high schools in southern Maryland faced the challenging literacy and programming tests in the Computer Bowl. In the first round of the competition, students took a written test of their computer literacy. In the second round, teams of three to four students created computer programs to solve specific problems, using programming languages such as Java and Visual BASIC. Charles County Public Schools equips each team with two laptops for the programming portion of the competition.
A team from La Plata High School won first place with team members Mike Diley, William Hicks, Matt Koontz, and Alex Smith, coached by Richard Williams. Northern High School placed second, with members Eric Butler, Bryan Ek, Mary Beth Kery, and Keegan Lee, coached by Eric Stroh. Huntingtown High School placed third, with team members Benjamin Arocho, Robbie Jackson, David Lavezzo, and Bryant O'Brien, and coach Tom Currier. Patuxent High School won fourth place, with Jordan Goldstein, Nicholas Mosquera, Aaron Sherrin, and Chris Taylor, coached by Blaine Mably.
Winners received plaques, trophies, and U.S. Savings Bonds. System Planning Corporation awarded calculator rulers to the team members who placed third and fourth. Booz Allen Hamilton awarded computer backpacks to each of the students in the top two teams, and members of the first-place team also received $500 performance awards from the College of Southern Maryland.
Employees from Booz Allen Hamilton who served as judges for the competition were Carrie Dalton, Mike Hammett, and Doug Sanborn. David Sanborn from St. Mary's College, Joe Burgin from the College of Southern Maryland, Lisa Clark, Mark Czajka, and Jason Sherrod from the Charles County Technology Council, Karen Lusk of ManTech, and Catherine Wood of System Planning Corporation also served as judges. George Matisick, a community volunteer who is retired from St. Mary's County Public Schools, has assisted with developing the test and programming questions for the past 21 years.
Sponsors for the Computer Bowl are Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, the College of Southern Maryland, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the public school systems of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's counties.